New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02
GRANT IN HIS FRIENDSHIPS.
BY GENERAL ADAM BADEAU.
VARIED INTIMACIES IN MILITARY AND
CIVIL LIFE.
Copyright, 1887.


else in his life-variOus Ia character and result,
sometimes adding to his dignity and happiness and
renOwn. sometimes unfortunate in the last degree.
lie was the friend of General Sherman and OF Fer
dinand Ward, of DR.. Ney and Hami.to FISH,
of George Child and tn King of siam. OF Raw
lns ieknap, Babcock Sheridan; of man naIDed
1Iiliyer, now forgotten, and of Abraham Lincoln,
of Roscoe 0unkling, Fitz-John Porter a'Ad John %.
Logan.
Many OF his early friendships were. not with as
tiugnlished people. but the manner in which he adj
lered to these was characteristic OF the man, ana
explains some of the circumstances IN his career
which have been most criticised. Grant, as every
one knows stopped very low in his fortunes
after leaving the army, He bought farm, but ala
not succeed III farming he cut wood ana grove IL
to ST. Louis; he tried collecting money; nc SOUGHT
petty Office and failed to obtain IT aud atosether
was more unsuccessful than most men VINO nave
lad tho advantages of education and position
which a graduate of West Point ENJOYS. Yet at TINS
point in his career he must have displayed some
very lovable qualities; for among the ordinary
men with whom he associated there were many
VINO did him kindnesses IIillyer was especially
able. and. believe, Wiling to be rlend hlm' icht
him small sums of money; anu others STUCK 10 HIN
when the world looked askant.
In Gaena wear or two later his friends were
also numerous, though he WAS sui obscure. They
were themselves of the palmer Western sort, butnot
like some of those whose com raNr he fell ln'o at
ST. LOUIS. They, perhaps, had n" he opportunity
to do him so much service; indec, at tins period
lie did not need much assiStanc" lor
he had become clerk for his father aud brother
with the prospect of partnership in a somewhat
prosperous business
Earlier than these associations of st. Louis and
GaIena was his army life; not perhaps very di1er-
ent from that led by most young soldiers al NAV
time in California, Oregon, Mexico, among the In
tians, and on the Canada frontier. AS an army
officer he of course thrown among the oet'er
class of citizens everywhere. and Ill the army
itself he met most of the men who afterward be-
came famous on the Northern or Southern side IN
the great war.
When Grant grew into fame and Importance
after he had led the armies that destroyed the Re-
bellion, when he became prominent as an almost
certain candidate for the Presdency-most OF these
earlier associates of every sort revived, OF Sought
10 revive their relations with blm. Some of his
firmest friendships with his former
West Point comrades Though he was alb
solutely free from the pedantTy OF west
Point l have never known man
whose associations there affected afterward bis re-
lations with men so remarkably A chum at the
Academy. q terminate III Louisiana or Mexico al
,yavs had q claim upon him that he recognized. lie
preferred West Point men soldiers. he loved
them as friends Whether IL was preJud'ce or
paIt;ality, or what not, he thought higher even Oh
Sherman and Sheridan because they were graduates
of the Academy; and all tnrou gh the war aod al
terward men like ingalls, and Waller and Dent
had peculiar relations with HIM because of TINS
ear Ter Intimacy: some richly deserved the ret'h-
ton of the tie: Others not at all; but whether
they deserved it the camaradere OF tie cadet
life and of camp lasted with Grant to he eni. In
The concluding months of his life General Tower,
whom he had seldom met during the war, and not
very often afterward, went to his house and dis
cussed the Mexican camDaigos. anu Grant AT once
meiowed toward him IN an unusual way.
The St. LOUIS friends of the inferior sort were
among his worst enemies These men trade | delib-
eratelv on the little services they had been abe 20
render him when he was in need- they reminded
him of those services, not always III words. but bv
their presence; sometimes they w-nt further. 10
INV knowledge and he was not wiling when he
became prominent to turn his back tho @ who
had befriended HIM IN h adversely and obscurty.
He did not say this in words, bur il was very evil
dent. Men and sometimes women came 10 him Tor
benefits who did not deserve what they asked for,
wnodld discredit ohm and to the country if they
were thrust into important positions: but he re-
fused to forget their former conduct, anu
unfortunately tho association did not always
move creditabe in bis new position. There
was a certain nobility in this gratitude,
though one might say he should have shows 1t IA
another way But he would not consent TO thrust
aside the people who once nal done INN kindnesseS
and they being mean, or be ng human. aud dlsc0v-
erng bis feeling, availcl themselves of it fully.
do not think, however, this was always
gratitude in Grant, 50 much as PRIDE
IN not doing the ordinary mean thing
OF turning away i'll the hour OF success from
those whose friendship he had once been glad to
4, ie Ia MT burdpu q
the obligation seemed heavier In those instances
than for far greater services rendered afterward.
Later i'm his career he felt, think. that the DIS
tinction of association with him and the benefits he
was able TO confer compensated for any service his
friends performed for him. lie was glad to aid or
advance bis friends. the world knows. but he
was fully of all the advantages or h0nors
he bestowed. lie never spoke of them; but am
certain that in his Utmost soul he felt the full
weight of every Obligation he imposed, and
after his greatness became conspicuous
am not sure that he thought what done for
him was any more than he deserved; either from
The country OF from individual friends OF course,
lie made no display of such sentiment. ana there
are many who will not coDs'derlt iault or even
fanng ID man like him To he conscious of The
Importance of his own services either to the State
to bis friends.
in q very peculiar wav. lie had military friends,
political friends personal friends. aud did moi con
founG the different varieties. tie gave one man h,s
entire confidence in phase of life, but kept nm
utterly aloOtu anoher. lie used one mans qnailiies
in a certain direction, but ignored them alt ether
in q different business. Sherman was certainly
during the war his most intimate military friend,
and very dear TO hun personally, but he and Sher-
man differed constantly Oh political subjects, some
times almost to the brink OF dispute. When the
th,rd tern movement was at It's height sherman
refused 10 v word III favor OF Grant, aud
thought hat Grant ffl his silence: but neither
shermans silence nor Grants feeling affected their
relations one partice @.
Then Grant had political intmates who never
got near to him at all as man: he ACTED with his
Cabinet, he consulted Them, he kept often from
OF hers the he shared with Them but be had
10 personal relations with any of them but Raw